Carrier or broker: what does it mean for your vehicle transport?
Who actually drives your car, and who answers if something goes wrong? It depends on your provider’s model.
In vehicle transport, two models coexist: the carrier, who owns the trucks and employs the drivers, and the broker (or intermediary), who takes your order and passes it to a third party. Both have their place, but for regular B2B flows the difference is decisive — on control, liability and traceability.
Two models, two logics
A carrier runs its own fleet: it knows exactly which truck and which driver handle your vehicle, and it is directly liable from start to finish.
A broker does not transport anything itself: it assigns the job to a third-party carrier, often the lowest bidder. The subcontracting chain can be long and opaque, and your sales contact is not the person driving.
What an own fleet changes
Spedition HTL has run its own car carriers since 2014 — Scania tractors with Lohr, Kässbohrer and Rimo trailers. You deal with the carrier that performs the service: a single point of contact, identified drivers, direct liability.
In practice: direct delivery with no intermediate storage yard (less handling, controlled lead times), a CMR consignment note and condition report at every collection, GPS tracking, and — on request for high-value vehicles — ad valorem insurance up to €250,000/vehicle, beyond the standard CMR liability (8.33 SDR/kg).
For activity peaks we rely on an audited partner network — but you always keep a single contact, responsible end to end.
When a broker can be enough
For a one-off, isolated shipment, or a destination far outside a carrier’s network, going through an intermediary can help.
But as soon as your flows become regular — dealers, rental companies, remarketing platforms — dealing directly with an own-fleet carrier gives you control over lead times, quality and the long-term relationship.
The 5 questions to ask any provider
Before entrusting your vehicles, ask these questions — the answers reveal your provider’s real model:
- 1Who actually drives my vehicle: your drivers, or a subcontractor you don’t yet know?
- 2Do you run your own fleet, or do you assign the job to a third party?
- 3How long has the company existed, and what is its status (GmbH, share capital)?
- 4Do you issue a CMR consignment note and a condition report at collection?
- 5What is the transport insurance cover per vehicle?